Medical patient monitoring devices located at the patient bedside typically include an alarm that will activate if the monitored patient parameters exceed preset limits. This alarm is typically audible or passed to a remote annunciation device so that nurses located at a somewhat distant nursing station or a remote clinical operation center can respond to the alarm quickly. In addition, many devices are connected to a network that also raises an alarm on a monitoring device located at the nursing station or other remote or central location. This network-based alarm is generally considered a secondary alarm to the medical device's primary alarm. Because the alarm received over the network is a secondary alarm, meaning that the medical professionals rely on the primary alarm for notification of a patient adverse condition, the fact that the network may not deliver an alarm in a timely manner or at all, is not of serious concern.
With the desire to make patient monitors smaller and portable, devices are moving toward wearable monitors powered by a small battery. This portable monitor typically communicates with a base station over a wireless connection in order to transfer patient data to the network for transfer to a clinical monitoring or medical records management system only periodically, so as to save battery power. An exception to this periodic connection is if the device detects an out of range parameter value. In this case, the device typically connects to the network and sends an out of range data alarm immediately.
As a result, it becomes imperative when using these devices for the network to guarantee the delivery of an alarm condition. The present invention addresses this need.